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PREPARED BY 

J. W. BAUER 

fl Section Director of the South 
Carolina Section of the United 
Stales Weather and Gop Service, 
for the United States Government 
publication, " The Climatology of 
the United States," and reprinted 
by permission of Willis L. Moore, 
Chief of the United States Weather 
Bureau. ^ Many indisputable facts 
showing South Carolina's match- 
less resources of climate and soil, 
making the State one of the most 
successful agricultural districts of 
the American Continent. :: 



ISSUED BY THE 

00Utf? CdaroUtta Btatt l^tpuvtmmi 

nf Agrirultur?, (^ammtrtf 

mh Smmigratinn. 

E. J. WATSON, Commissioner 

19 4 



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ilntroburtor^. 



To Those Seeking- Homes in the South: 

It is with peculiar pleasure that the article 
prepared by Mr. J. W. Bauer, Director of the 
South Carolina section of the United Weather 
and Crop Service, on the subject of the 
climatology of South Carolina, is reprinted 
for the benefit of homeseekers. 

This article was prepared for use in the 
Government's publication, "Climatology of 
the United States," and is reprinted in this 
form with the permission of Willis L. Moore, 
Chief United States Weather Bureau. This 
information is valuable, inasmuch as Mr. 
Bauer is not only an expert in his line, 
but has been in charge of the United 
States Government's weather and crop 
service in South Carolina long- enough to be 
thoroughly familiar with climatic, soil,* and 
crop conditions, and what he says is in the 
light of intelligence and a competent knowl- 
edge of the subject he presents so entertain- 
ingly. All homeseekers are particularly in- 
vited to read this article with care, and to 
digest its contents thoroughly before deter- 
mining upon a location for a home. 

E. J. WATSON, 

Commissioner. 



QIltmal0l0J5i| nf S>0«tt| fflarnltna. 



Few, if any, States afford so interesting a 
field of study in physiography as South Caro- 
lina. Her topography varies from marshy 
coastal lowlands, interior alluvial plains and 
swamps, sandy highlands, rolling uplands to 
low mountains, in a series of gradations 
from the Atlantic Ocean to the southern spurs 
of the Appalachians. Her shape is that of an 
an isosceles triangle having its base resting 
on the ocean and its apex touching the moun- 
tains. This triangle is inclosed by the lines 
formed by the parallels of latitude, 32 degrees 
and 35 degrees 12 minutes north, and longi- 
tude 78 degrees 30 minutes, and 83 degrees 
20 minutes west of Greenwich. The State is 
bounded on the north by North Carolina, on 
the east by North Carolina and the Atlantic 
Ocean, on the south by the Atlantic Ocean 
and Georgia, and on the west by Georgia. 
Her greatest dimension is a line from George- 
town running northwestward through Colum- 
bia to the northwestern part of Greenville 
County, and measures 241 miles. The longest 
straight line due north and south is 216 miles, 
and can be drawn from the southernmost 
point of Beaufort County to the North Car- 
olina border in York County. The total area 
is 30,170 square miles, bearing a population 
in 1900 of 1,340,000, making the density of 
population approximately forty-four per 
square mile. The area expressed in acres is 
19,308,800, of which 13,958,014 acres were in- 
cluded in farms, and of these farm lands 
5,775,741 acres were under tillage in 1899, 
yielding crops valued at $58,890,413, or abou/ 
$11 per acre.* 

The entire State is well watered by numer- 
ous rivers and their branching tributaries. 
The principal rivers are navigable from the 
ocean for varying distances, usually to the 
points where the lowlands end and the hill 
country begins. Although the commerce 
carried by water is as yet comparatively un- 
important, it is capable of being greatly 
increased. The "up-country" rivers and their 
largest tributaries are important and valuable 



*Special Bulletin, Twelfth Census of the 
iJnited States. 



for the numerous water-power sites they offer. 
The relation between these streams in their 
availability for furnishing cheap power for 
manufacturing purposes, and the seasonal and 
annual precipitation, is intimate, but has been 
modified, and the availability of the water- 
power sites decreased by the deforestation 
of the steep hillsides that are so important 
physical features of the western half of the 
State. When cleared, these hillsides yield 
profitable crops for a few years only, then 
become gullied, almost barren wastes, de- 
nuded of their soil by the washing rains. 
These gullies act as troughs and drainage 
channels and facilitate the rapid off-flow of 
the rainfall, so that the streams are subject 
to quick freshets and overflows that destroy 
bottom-land crops, or damage them, then as 
quickly fall again to minimum flows. This 
rapid off-flow of the otherwise sufficient rain- 
fall renders power sites on the smaller 
streams unavailable. The remedy is re- 
forestation of the hillsides, for which the 
small loss in tillable lands incurred would 
be amply compensated by the greater and 
more certain yields of the bottom lands that 
are the depositaries of the soil from the 
denuded hillsides. At present the frequent 
occurrence, and some seasons recurrence, of 
freshets, renders crops precarious on many 
of the widest and most fertile valleys. 

Reforestation would tend to conserve the 
rainfall and make the flow of the rivers more 
even and at a greater average depth. 

The physical features of South Carolina 
have been so accurately defined and described 
in a publication issued by the State in 1883* 
that all subsequent geographers have copied 
from it, almost in the exact language of the 
original description, and the regions as named 
in that publication will be briefly described 
for a correct understanding of the difference 
in climate of the eastern and western parts 
of the State. 

There are seven well defined regions, named 
in the order that they occur from the coast to 
the mountains. 

I. "The Coast Region," a narrow border 
fringing the coast and extending inland about 
ten miles. It includes the numerous sea 
islands and the extensive salt marshes. The 
climate of this region is illustrated by the 
data for Charleston and Beaufort, the latter 
representing the sea islands. 



*South Carolina — Resources and Popu- 
lation — Institutions and Industries. 



II. "The Lower Pine Belt or Savannah Re- 
gion," lying inland and parallel with the coast 
region. This region has an average width of 
about fifty miles, and an average elevation 
of about 150 feet. It includes the tidal estu- 
aries of the rivers, and considerable country 
lying above tidal influence. In this region 
there are extensive swamps and undrained 
lowlands. The land is generally flat, with a 
few elevations rising to a maximuux height 
of 250 feet. The average slope is two and one- 
half feet to the mile. This makes drainage 
difficult and detracts from the otherwise ex- 
ceedingly fertile soil, although along its 
western border lie the regions of greatest 
productiveness of the entire State. The 
climate of this region is shown by the data 
for Charleston, Blackville and Trial. 

III. "The Upper Pine Belt" lies still further 
inland, between the lower pine belt and the 
sand and red hills, and has an elevation rang- 
ing from 130 to 250 feet. Its surface is com- 
paratively level but rolling, and it has good 
drainage, with an average slope of about five 
feet to the mile. This region has the distinc- 
tion of including the best and most productive 
farm lands in the State, but its soil decreases 
in richness as the region merges into that of 
the red hill and sand hill regions. The climate 
of this region differs but little from that of 
the lower pine belt, except that the proximity 
of the ocean is less apparent, and is shown 
by the data for Blackville and Society Hill. 

IV. "The Red Hill Region" is irregular in 
outline and consists of a series of detached 
groups of hills on the northwestern border 
of the upper pine belt, and among the sand 
hills. Its most northerly group is the "High 
Hills of Santee," in Sumter County. The red 
hills attain their highest elevation in Orange- 
burg County, with crests of from 500 to 600 
feet above the sea. The soil is a reddish loam 
that responds to fertilization, but in its 
natural state is not productive and it requires 
skilful tillage. The climate is represented by 
the data for Stateburg. 

V. "The Sand Hill Region" stretches across 
the State from the Savannah River, opposite 
Augusta, Georgia, to the North Carolina line, 
where it intersects the Great Pedee River, 
and includes the whole or parts of Aiken, 
Edgefield, Lexington, Richland, Kershaw, 
Lancaster, and Chesterfield Counties. Its 
greatest width is about fifty miles, in Lex- 
ington County. The sand hills attain an ele- 
vation of about 600 feet in Aiken County, 



and a maximum elevation of from 700 to 800 
feet in Lexington County. The streams that 
originate in the western parts of the State 
have in this region an abrupt descent into 
the "low-country," and afford numerous 
water-power sites, as in many places the 
descent is steep enough to form low falls and 
rapids. The soil of the sand hills is loose, 
rounded sand, and is of low fertility, except 
that the river bottoms are usually fertile, 
their soil being of a different texture and 
formation, being formed by the depositions 
of freshets and overflows of the muddy 
streams that carry the soil from the denuded 
hillsides of the "up-country" and leave it in 
successive layers in the middle and "low- 
country" valleys. The sand hills are noted 
for their large commercial peach orchards, 
especially in the more southerly portions, but 
the soil and cimate are so alike over the whole 
region that fruits of all kinds would attain 
the same early perfection, even to the North 
Carolina border. This region is justly famed 
for its salubrious winter clim.ate, and contains 
widely known health and pleasure resorts, 
those best known being Aiken and Camden, 
although the entire region shares in the 
climatic advantages of any part. The forests 
originally consisted of long-leaf pine, but 
being nearly all cut for timber, it has been 
succeeded by the short-leaf pine, and scrub 
oak. The climate of this region can be 
studied from the data for Aiken, Columbia, 
and Society Hill. 

VI. "The Piedmont Region" includes the 
whole of ten and parts of eight western 
counties, and is the largest region in the 
State. The elevation ranges from about 350 
to 1,000 feet. This region has a diversified 
soil, practically all capable of tillage, with an 
evenly distributed population. The cereals, 
grasses, and fruits of the Northern States, 
as well as cotton, rice, sugarcane, and figs, 
all indigenous to the South, here flourish side 
by side, and although neither the former nor 
the latter attain their maximum productive- 
ness, they yield profitable returns under 
proper cultivation. Perhaps no other region 
in the whole United States can compare in 
variety of crops commonly raised with this 
region, unless it be in the northern portion of 
Georgia and Alabama, where the climatic con- 
ditions are similar. The climate of the Pied- 
mont region is shown by the data for Trenton, 
Columbia, Santuck, and Greenville. 



VII. "The Alpine Region" comprises the 
foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, and 
occupies the northwestern border of the State. 
The country is hilly and broken, with occa- 
sionally small level tablelands capable of 
cultivation. The entire region would afford 
good pasturage for sheep and goats. Its ele- 
vation ranges from 1,000 to 3,436 feet, the 
latter being the summit of Mount Pinnacle, 
in Pickens County, and is the highest point 
in South Carolina. Agriculturally, this region 
is of slight importance, but it contains unex- 
ploited mineral wealth of probably great 
value, and it is heavily forested with hard- 
wood trees. It has a distinctively mountain 
climate, modified by its southerly latitude and 
comparatively low elevation. There is no 
data available to define its climate except 
that for Greenville on its southern border. 

The above named physical regions have 
well defined and definitely ascertained bound- 
aries, and each has its peculiar climatic 
features, but it must not be inferred that the 
climatic and physical boundaries coincide, 
or that the former bears an unvarying rela- 
tion to the latter throughout the year, or in 
any one season. There are times when the 
climatic boundaries disappear, especially 
during severe winter storms, and at times 
they present a reversal, more particularly in 
the summer time. In general, the coast and 
adjacent regions have the more equable tem- 
peratures, the western portions the widest 
range. The difference betwen the annual 
mean temperature of Beaufort (the warmest 
place) and Greenville (the coldest) is 8 
degrees. The spring and autumn seasons 
maintain this difference, while in summer it 
is only 6 degrees, and in winter it rises to 
11 degrees. If an intermediate station is 
included in the comparison, Columbia for 
instance, midway between Beaufort and 
Greenville, it is found that Columbia's mean 
annual temperature (64 degrees) is 2 degrees 
lower than that of Beaufort, and 6 degrees 
higher than for Greenville; in spring the dif- 
ferences are 3 degrees and 5 degrees; in 
summer, 1 degree and 5 degrees; in autumn, 4 
degrees and 4 degrees; and in winter, 4 degrees 
and 7 degrees. In other words, the whole of 
the eastern part of the State, or the so-called 
"low-country," has the more equable tempera- 
ture. The same relative differences appear 
when more stations are included in the com- 
parison. 



If, instead of the mean annual and mean 
seasonal temperatures, the mean maximum 
temperatures are used In comparison, a much 
smaller difference is found to exist, Beaufort's 
annual mean maximum being 75 degrees, Co- 
lumbia 74 degrees, and Greenville 70 degrees. 
The seasonal mean maximum temperatures 
are, in the same order, for the spring, 75 de- 
grees, 74 degrees, 70 degrees; for the summer, 
89 degrees, 90 degrees, 85 degrees; for the 
autumn, 77 degrees, 74 degrees, 73 degrees; 
and for the winter 59 degrees, 57 degrees, 52 
degrees. While this comparison corresponds 
closely with the annual and seasonal means, 
it also shows that the central parts have 
higher day temperatures in the summer than 
either the coast or the highlands. The differ- 
ence is slight betwen the center and the coast 
(one degree) and very material between the 
center and west portion (5 degrees). 

The mean minimum temperatures, both 
annual and seasonal, show less variability, 
as well as wider ranges. The annual mean 
minimum for Beaufort is 59 degrees, for 
Columbia 53 degrees, and for Greenville 47 
degrees. The seasonal values, in the same 
sequence, are, for the spring, 58 degrees, 52 
degrees, 46 degrees; for the summer, 74 de- 
grees, 70 degrees, 65 degrees; for the autumn, 
61 degrees, 54 degrees, 48 degrees; and for the 
winter, 42 degrees, 37 degrees, 28 degrees. 
This comparison is interesting, as it shows 
that on the coast the minimum averages 
at about the lowest temperature (during the 
winter) at which vegetation will grow; in the 
central parts it is too low for growth, al- 
though well above freezing, while in the west 
the average minimum is 4 degrees below 
freezing. At Santuck, in the eastern part of 
the Piedmont region, the winter mean mini- 
mum is 31 degrees; at Clemson College it is 
30 degrees; at Aiken, 39 degrees; at Society 
Hill, 36 degrees; Trenton, 38 degrees; Trial, 
37 degrees. The low minimum at Trial can- 
not be explained by reference to its location, 
about fifty miles from the coast, but the 
reason undoubtedly is on account of the level, 
low, swampy surrounding country. The an- 
nual mean maximum is 74 degrees at Trial, 
the same as at Columbia, but the annual 
mean minimum is 1 degree lower. The great- 
est differences in temperature between the 
extremities of the State are along a north- 
westerly and southeasterly line, rather than 
along a north and south line, although the 



distances are practically the same, showing 
the influence of the high elevations in the 
northwestern portion. 

Killing frosts are infrequent on the coast, 
although few, if any, years have been ex- 
empt. The average date of last killing frost 
of spring at Charleston is March 3d; at Beau- 
fort, farther south, but in a more exposed 
and open locality, it is March 8th. The latest 
dates of killing frost in spring at those points 
are April 2d and 1st respectively. Inland and 
westward, the average dates of last killing 
frost advance regularly, with one exception, 
to April 7th at Santuck, and 5th at Greenville. 
At Trial the date is as late as April 4th, and 
again illustrates the susceptibility of this 
locality to low temperatures. In passing, it 
should be noted that every section that has 
sandy soil exhibits the same susceptibility, 
especially where the sand is light yellow or 
nearly white. In the autumn the dates of 
flrst killing frost show the same march, ex- 
cept in an opposite direction, and with the 
same inconsistency at Trial as in the spring, 
being earliest at Santuck (September 30th), 
then at Trial (October 10th), followed by 
Greenville (October 15th), and from then on 
regularly to the coast, on November 9th at 
Charleston and 7th at Beaufort. The average 
dates of first killing frost follow the same 
chronology as the earliest dates, ranging 
from October 29th, at Santuck, to November 
30th, at Charleston, with Greenville and Trial 
having practically the same dates, Novem- 
ber 5th and 6th respectively. These dates 
show an average season without killing frost 
of 272 days at Charleston, 215 at Trial, 230 at 
Columbia, 205 at Santuck, and 215 at Green- 
ville. In the sand hill region clear nights, 
in spring and autumn, are favorable for low 
minimum temperatures, but generally with- 
out frost formation. 

The extreme maximum temperatures vary 
but little in different parts of the State, al- 
though the central portions usually have the 
highest maxima. Temperatures of 100 de- 
grees or higher are of frequent occurence in 
the central counties, rare along the coast, and 
are unknown in the western parts. The 
highest recorded in the last ten years was 
107 degrees at Darlington and Florence in 
1902. Extreme minimum temperatures show 
a wider range. The lowest minimum recorded 
in the last ten years was 11 degrees below 
zero at Santuck and Shaws Fork (Aiken 
County) in February, 1899. The average 



number of days with temperatures above 90 
degrees ranges from 79 days at Blackville to 
21 days at Charleston; below 32 degrees the 
averages are 80 days at Greenville, 9 at 
Charleston, 16 at Beaufort, 20 at Aiken, 34 
at Trial, 28 at Stateburg, and 38 at Columbia. 
This shows an irregularity in distribution 
that may be attributed to local topography, 
soil, and elevation. 

The average relative humidity at different 
places is largely a matter of approximation, 
as observations have been taken for any 
considerable period at two places only, 
namely, Charleston and Aiken, and as the 
hours of observation were not the same, the 
results are not strictly comparable. These 
observations are not taken at voluntary ob- 
server's stations, and at Columbia cover not 
quite three years, a period too short for re- 
liable means. These three years compare 
favorably with the longer period at Charles- 
ton. To institute a reliable comparison be- 
tween Charleston and Columbia, the data for 
1901-02-03 were reduced to means, and are 
given in the following table for January and 
July. The relative humidity data for Aiken 
at 7 a. m. and 9 p. m. is added to the table, 
and includes a period of twelve years. 
JANUARY. 





8 a.m. 


8 a.m. 


8 p.m. 


8 p.m. 




Tempt. 


R. H. 


Tempt. 


R. H. 


Places. 


de- 


per 


de- 


per 




grees. 


cent. 


grees. 


cent. 


Charleston., 


, .. 40 


79 


49 


75 


Columbia. .. 


... 38 


79 


46 


66 


Aiken 


... — 


68 


— 


67 




JULY. 








8 a.m. 


8 a.m. 


8 p.m. 


8 p.m. 




Tempt. 


R. H. 


Tempt. 


R. H. 


Places. 


de- 


per 


de- 


per 




grees. 


cent. 


grees. 


cent. 


Charleston., 


, .. 79 


79 


81 


78 


Columbia.. . 


... 76 


76 


82 


66 


Aiken 


... — 


70 


— 


67 



Prom the table it would appear that the 
interior is much drier during the evening 
than the coast, but that the difference in the 
relative humidity is slight during the morn- 
ing hours. Assuming that the relative hu- 
midity is from 18 per cent, to 20 per cent, 
lower during the hottest part of the day, and 
this assumption is warranted* it would also 
appear that the interior has a much wider 



^Handbook of Climatology— Hann (1903). 



diurnal range than the coast reg-ion. Ex- 
ceedingly low percentages of relative hu- 
midity, ranging from 15 per cent, to 25 per 
cent., occur at all seasons, but when asso- 
ciated with temperatures above 90 degrees 
they are harmful to vegetation and prob- 
ably also to animal organism. In other 
than the hottest seasons, low relative hu- 
midity has no noticeable effects on either. 
Muggy days are not uncommon along the 
coast, and more than any other climatic 
feature render the summer season almost 
unendurable to the unacclimated. In the in- 
terior, muggy days are so rare, and their 
period of duration so short, that they do not 
detract from the healthfulness of the climate. 
Muggy weather is conducive to rapid growth 
of vegetation, and in that manner compen- 
sates for the discomforts it causes. 

The precipitation of South Carolina is well 
distributed, both geographically and by 
seasons. The season of heaviest rainfall is 
the summer time, when vegetation is most in 
need of it. The mean annual amount is 49.0 
inches, and the variations from this amount 
are comparatively small — Charleston, with 
the largest amount, having 53.4, and State- 
burg 44.4, the smallest. The next smallest 
amount is 46.7, at Columbia. Omitting 
Charleston, Stateburg, and Columbia, whose 
lengths of record are 33, 20, and 16 years, and 
using only such stations whose years of 
record coincide and include the period from 
1893 to 1903, it is found that the greatest 
average annual rainfall is 53.0 at Greenville, 
closely followed by Trenton, with 52.1 inches; 
the least is 48.0, at Santuck, with Beaufort 
only slightly greater, with 48.3 Inches. This 
comparison would indicate that the different 
parts of the State have practically like 
amounts of precipitation. 

The average spring rainfall is 10.8 inches; 
summer, 17.0; autumn, 10.1; and winter, 11.6. 
The range in the spring is between 9.1 at 
Beaufort and 12.6 at Greenville; the summer 
range is between 13.6 at Santuck and 20.1 at 
Charleston; the autumn range is between 8.4 
at Stateburg and 12.5 at Charleston; and the 
winter range is between 8.2 at Beaufort and 
14.2 at Greenville. This would indicate that 
the heaviest rainfall during the spring and 
winter is over the western parts of the State, 
and the heaviest summer and autumn rain- 
fall is in the eastern parts, particularly the 
coast regions. The long record of Charleston 
and the shorter record at Beaufort both agree 



in the above conclusion, although the longer 
record shows the larger amount. The small 
annual rainfall at Stateburg is probably due to 
the peculiar location of that station on a spur 
of the "High Hills of Santee." A thirty-six 
years average at Camden, about twenty miles 
north of Stateburg, is even less, being only 
43.3 inches. 

The average number of days with 0.01 or 
more precipitation (excluding precipitation 
from dew) ranges from 87 at Aiken to 119 at 
Charleston. The probability of rainy days 
therefore ranges from .24 to .33. Stateburg 
and Blackville show the lowest rain intensity, 
with 0.40 at both places, while Aiken has an 
apparent rain intensity of 0.56; this is con- 
sidered too high in comparison with surround- 
ing stations. Records such as these cannot 
be made absolutely accurate, and have only 
an approximate value. Their accuracy de- 
pends too much on the personality of the ob- 
server, especially at voluntary observers' 
stations. The monthly, seasonal and annual 
values are more nearly correct than is that of 
any single rain, as the gage may or may not 
be visited and measured after each rain, but 
the contents will be added to the next rain 
and be included in the amount of it, with only 
the loss by evaporation to vitiate the record, 
while the rain intensity will be practically 
twice the amount it should be. 

Heavy rainfalls, in excess of 12 inches for 
the month, are not infrequent in South Caro- 
lina during June, July, and August, and are 
rare during the rest of the year. They usually 
occur in the southern parts. The heaviest 
monthly rainfall at any stations occurred in 
August, 1898, when the totals at Port Royal 
(near Beaufort) and at Gillisonville (about 
thirty miles inland) were 24.7 and 24.4 inches, 
respectively. These torrential rains occur 
only during the passage of West India hur- 
ricanes. In the western parts there are com- 
paratively few days having rains in excess of 
3.0 inches, for any 24 consecutive hours. 

Hail storms are seldom of wide extent or 
destructive, although occasionally they do 
occur in May and June, seldom in July, and 
rarely in August, and are practically unknown 
during the rest of the year. Hail storms are 
most frequent in the north central and north- 
eastern parts, and rarely occur in the south- 
ernmost parts. 

The differences in latitude and in elevation 
from the coast to the mountains have an 
appreciable influence on the occurrence of 



II 



snowstorms. The line marking the absolute 
southern limit of snow does not cross or 
touch this State, although the southernmost 
part is practically exempt. During the occur- 
rence of severe cold waves, snow falls in the 
vicinity of Charleston and the adjoining 
low country, but it is exceedingly rare that it 
accumulates on the ground, and almost in- 
variably melts as it falls. On the contrary, 
in the northwestern and even the central 
parts, it accumulates to depths of from five to 
ten inches, and sometimes remains on the 
ground for from two days to a week. The 
average annual number of days with snow 
ranges from none at Charleston to five at 
Santuck. 

The late autumn, winter, and early spring 
precipitation is almost entirely due to the 
passage of cyclonic storms. The late spring, 
summer, and early autumn rains are, with 
few exceptions, of convectional type. The 
exceptions are of two kinds, the first being 
due to the occasional passage over this part 
of the country of cyclonic storms that origi- 
nate in the southwest; the second being the 
passage of West India hurricanes that origi- 
nate in the tropics. The latter are of more 
frequent occurrence, especially in August and 
September, but seldom reach the westernmost 
parts. 

The extreme limits of probable annual pre- 
cipitation, or the absolute driest and wettest 
years, are not well defined in the accom- 
panying tables, owing to the shortness of the 
periods of observation, except at Charleston, 
where the range is between 29.7 and 78.4 inches. 
At Stateburg (twenty years) the range is 
between 32.6 and 60.0; at Columbia (sixteen 
years) the range is between 39.7 and 53.3; at 
Greenville (ten years) the range is between 
42.5 and 77.8 inches. 

If a deduction is permissible from so short 
a record, it appears that the extreme parts 
of the State have a greater variability, while 
the central parts have a fairly constant pre- 
cipitation from year to year. The percentages 
of variability are much greater when the 
comparison is between seasons, and still 
greater between months of like name. The 
accompanying tables do not include this data, 
nor have the periods of greatest number of 
consecutive days without rain been calcu- 
lated. 

Fogs are frequent along the coast and in 
the low country, and in the winter season in 
other parts. The sand hills are almost free 

12 



from them, the average annual number being 
but one day each year. At Charleston the 
average annual number is twenty-six days. 
The record for prevailing winds is unsatis- 
factory, but there is so close an agreement 
between stations in the same parts of the State 
as to warrant the tentative statement that 
over the eastern parts the prevailing winds 
are from the southwest; in the north central 
parts from the northeast, and in the 
western parts from the west. Destructive 
high winds are of rare occurrence, and are of 
two kinds. The first, usually confined to the 
western parts, are tornadic; along the coast 
and adjoining regions they accompany West 
India hurricanes. 



The relation between the climate of South 
Carolina and its agricultural resources is 
complex, and the limits of this article will not 
permit an exhaustive discussion. Even a list 
of the flora indigenous to the State would 
require about all the space assigned. 

From the data in the accompanying tables 
it can be seen that the coast region has a semi- 
tropical climate; the upper portion has a tem- 
perate, or sub-temperate, climate; in the 
central portions there is a gradual blending 
of the one into the other. This makes it pos- 
sible to raise practically every variety of 
crop known to the United States in some 
portion of South Carolina. The staple crops 
in the coast region are sea island cotton, corn 
and tobacco, as well as early truck crops, for 
which it is admirably adapted. Peaches, 
pears, and figs attain perfection. Straw- 
berries are an important commercial crop. 
Oranges and lemons have been grown, but are 
precarious crops. 

The lower pine belt is adapted to tobacco, 
cotton, rice, and corn, with the fruits and 
berries that yield so well in the coast region. 

The upper pine belt is the region of greatest 
yields of cotton, corn, tobacco and melons, 
and is well adapted for raising fruits and 
berries of all kinds. Occasionally wheat is 
cultivated. Oats are one of the staple crops. 

The sand hills are peculiarly adapted for 
the cultivation of peaches and other fruits, 
but are otherwise of low agricultural value, 
although they are far from being barren. 

The red hills yield well of the staple crops, 
such as cotton, corn, and oats, under fertili- 
zation and intense cultivation. 



13 



In the Piedmont region, cotton, corn, wheat, 
oats and rye, peas and other legumes are 
staple field crops. Peaches, apples, pears, 
cherries, and berries of all kinds do well. 
This region shares with the warmer portions 
of the State a wide adaptability for the culti- 
vation of all varieties of garden vegetables 
known to the market gardener in any part of 
the United States, although as the season is 
later than on the coast, truck farming is not 
so profitable in the Piedmont region. Truck 
raised in the western parts of the State would 
come into competition with that raised on the 
coasts of Virginia and Maryland. 

The enumeration of the different crops 
raised in this State is not complete with the 
mention of those herein made for the different 
regions, but minor crops for local consump- 
tion include a large number of varieties. Chief 
among them may be named sweet potatoes, 
sugarcane, sorghum, peanuts, white potatoes, 
and the different kinds of root crops, culti- 
vated mainly for forage. Tea is being suc- 
cessfully cultivated at Summerville, and 
promising experiments are being made to grow 
coffee trees. The abundance of wild flowers 
from early in spring to late in autumn makes 
the State an almost ideal one for the estab- 
lishment of apiaries, a hitherto almost neg- 
lected industry. 

The long season during which pasturage is 
available makes stock-raising and dairying 
economical, but the present production of 
neither beef nor dairy products is equal to 
the consumption. Wheat, and its milled prod- 
ucts, oats, corn, and hay are imported in 
large quantities, not because the climate and 
soil are not capable of producing these crops 
abundantly, but becauses the energies of the 
farmers are largely devoted to raising cotton, 
while other crops are correspondingly neg- 
lected. 

All parts of the State are habitable, but 
some portions are more desirable than others. 
Perhaps the coast and the lower pine belt 
regions are least desirable, and have the 
smallest population per square mile, owing 
largely to the physical features of these sec- 
tions, they being lov/, level, and have large 
swamps and marshes. Most of the land is 
reclaimable, but at a great expense and 
necessarily under a comprehensive and ex- 
tensive system of drainage canals. 



14 



The slight difference in climate of the other 
regions does not materially affect their habit- 
ableness, taut if any preference exists in re- 
gard to healthfulness it is in favor of the 
sand hill region. 

J. W. BAUER, 
Section Director. 




15 



PRESSES OF 

THE STATE COMPANY 

COLUMBIA, S. C. 







i.. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



014 496 486 n | 



